Currently, keypads are mounted on a mounting structure, such as a bracket, for affixing the keypad to the wall. However, known mounting structures have several disadvantages. First, known mounting structures are exposed or visible from a side view, which can be undesirable in terms of appearance and aesthetics. Furthermore, known mounting structures require the keypad to include many installation openings for mounting the keypad to the mounting structure. This can be a competitive disadvantage when vying for sales volume in the marketplace. Finally, known mounting structures, such as a bracket, increase the overall product thickness. This can be undesirable because an increased thickness causes the keypad to be increasingly displaced from a wall to which the keypad, via the mounting structure, is affixed.
FIGS. 1A-1F are views of a keypad and mounting structure known in the art. As seen in FIG. 1A, the keypad 100 includes a plurality of installation openings 110, for example, apertures or indentations, for mounting the keypad 100 to a mounting structure, for example, the bracket 120 shown in FIG. 1B. The bracket 120 includes a plurality of protrusions 130, which can be inserted into respective ones of the plurality of installation openings 110 in the keypad 100 to affix the bracket 120 to the keypad 100. The bracket 120 can be affixed to a wall as would be known by those of ordinary skill in the art.
FIG. 1C is a phantom view and FIG. 1D is a perspective view of the bracket 120 affixed to the keypad 100. However, as seen in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1E and the side view of FIG. 1F, even when the protrusions 130 of the bracket 120 are inserted into the openings 110 of the keypad 100 for affixing the bracket 120 to the keypad 100, a portion of the bracket 120 is exposed, visible, and adds an increased thickness to the structure. This is undesirable.
In view of the above, there is a continuing, ongoing need for an improved mounting structure for keypads.